Wednesday, July 15, 2015

“I’m Not Gay!” - says victim of Dr. Ali-Gabass

Manasseh and the victim of Dr. Sulley Ali-Gabass

The teenage boy who was sodomised by Dr. Sulley Ali-Gabass says he is not gay and has cautioned his critics not to be judgmental.

Aziz, as he has been named for the purpose of the story, was fifteen years when he first had sex Dr. Sulley Ali-Gabass in 2013. Dr. Sulley Ali-Gabass was yesterday sentenced to 25 years imprisonment in hard labour by an Accra circuit court for defilement.

His victim, who was diagnosed HIV positive last year, told Manasseh Azure Awuni who investigated the story that Dr. Sulley Ali-Gabass infected him with the virus.

After the judgment yesterday, Manasseh called Aziz and asked him how he felt about the imprisonment of the man he first met on Facebook. He said he was happy that Dr. Ali-Gabass had been jailed. He was, however, worried about Dr. Ali-Gabass’ wife and family.

“I had two mixed feelings,” Aziz said. “I was happy because, finally, justice has been served. I was also sad because he has left behind a wife, two children and a family. They will feel bad.”

Manasseh then asked him whether he was gay because “some people who have followed the story say you are a bad boy. They believe you were already in the act before you met Dr. Ali-Gabass.”

“I am not surprised since everybody has the right to express their opinion when issues of this happened,” he said. He said he had already contacted the Human Rights Advocacy Centre about the issue three months before the story came to light. He said he was already seeking help. “So I am not a bad boy.”

When Manasseh told him Dr. Sulley Ali-Gabass said he had tested HIV negative, Aziz insisted the doctor was still responsible for his sickness.

“Even when I tested, I tested eight times. It was all negative until the eighth one,” he said.

“I am still adamant that he infected me with the HIV,” he stated emphatically.

“Are you gay yourself?” Manasseh asked.

“Please, I am not,” he said.

“Prior to meeting Dr. Ali-Gabass, did you ever have any sexual encounter with a man?” Manasseh asked again.

“No, I didn’t. I don’t know why I would accuse him of something if I had multiple sexual partners,” he said.

The writer, Manasseh Azure Awuni, is a senior broadcast journalist with Joy 99.7 FM. His email address is azureachebe2@yahoo.com. To read more of his writings, visit his personal blog at manassehazure.com